Aesthetic Sanctuary
by Miru-Rin
Summary: Seraphina Hreinn was expecting a normal day. She was thinking about Aerith a lot ever since they met a few years back. Aerith tells Seraphina in a vision that danger is near. When it finally comes, what will she do? Don't mind the bad summary. CloudxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Miru :** I said I'd make a Final Fantasy VII chapter, right? Well, you'd know if you saw my profile. I'm sorry if it's not all that good as the others out there. But hey, I'm bound to improve later on. By the way, it's rated M just in case.

**Aerith :** Well, good luck!

**Zack :** So I finally get to meet cha'!

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII in any way possible. Final Fantasy VII was published by Square Enix. I only own the story itself and the OCs.**

:.:.:.:.:.:

**-~{[Perseverance]}~-**

**Two Years Ago**

Aerith slowly stands up from her position after she was finished observing a leaking pipe overflowing with Mako. As she makes her way to the street, a girl with dark brown hair and luscious golden eyes bumped into her.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to- I mean... are you alright?" the girl stuttered. Aerith giggled; she found her reaction to be cute.

"I'm alright, don't worry. What's your name?" Aerith questioned. "I'm Aerith."

"My name is Seraphina. Aerith, is it? Are you selling flowers?" Seraphina inquired. Aerith nodded her head. "Well, I'll be happy to buy six of them, if you don't mind."

"Of course." Aerith smiled as she handed Seraphina six flowers. Seraphina, in exchange, handed Aerith six gil. "Make sure to take good care of them, alright?"

"I will. As if my life depended on it!" Seraphina reassured. Aerith giggled lightly at her statement. "Well, I'll be going, then. I hope we meet again some other time!" Seraphina then dashed off, hugging the flowers to make sure they don't fall.

_"She seemed like she was in a hurry. I wonder why..."_ Aerith thought as she continued to walk around, trying to sell the rest of the flowers.

**Present ~ Seraphina's Point of View ~ Seraphina's Room**

"Seraph! I'm off to work! Take care!" Mom called out from downstairs. "If you want to go outside, make sure to take an umbrella with you! I heard it was going to rain!" I opened my eyes and sat from my position. I gazed at the flower vase on my bedside.

_"Aerith... I took good care of the flowers, just like I said I would._" I thought to myself as I continued to stare at the flowers.

_"That's good."_

My eyes widened. I looked around the room to see if Aerith was around. And of course, she wasn't. I was probably hallucinating or something.

My name is Seraphina Hreinn. I'm just your average girl. I have shoulder-length dark brown hair (easily mistakable for black) and golden eyes. I'm slightly skinny, and I've been told I was pretty, but I really doubt it. I'm moderately intelligent, and somewhat strong. I lack perseverance, and I'm somewhat sarcastic. I live in Edge. I'm 21 years old, born in February 7. Coincidentally enough, so is Aerith. I've been thinking about her a lot, it's kind of weird. I can't shake her off of my head. We've only met twice, but after the second meet, I've been beginning to think about her more and more. I have no idea what all of this is leading to.

I looked outside my window and stared at my mother's garden. Ever since I met Aerith, I've taken quite a liking to flowers. I admired the patch of violets under the tree. Violets... in Victorian times, they were a sign of faith. And then, just as my mother predicted, it started to rain. Despite this, I continued to observe the patch of violets. Suddenly, everything around me turned white and I felt someone's presence behind me. I was unable to move, so I couldn't exactly see who it was.

_"Seraphina... Something bad will happen to you soon; Kadaj is after you. You have the White Materia inside of you. Which means, you can use the power of Holy. You also possess other powers as well, but__ your abilities haven't been awakened yet. It will soon, though, I promise. So please, be careful. Kadaj will not rest until he retreives Jenova, and your abilities can help him obtain her. Just remember, don't give up!"_

_"I won't give up that easily, don't worry."_ I reassured. Suddenly, I felt someone shaking me back and forth. I snapped back into reality to see my older brother Anthony, along with my little sister Cora.

"I'm going to go somewhere, and Cora won't leave me alone." Anthony droned, already heading for the door. "Take care of her while I'm away, okay? Make sure she's with you at all times. Even if you're going somewhere." Then, we heard the front door slam shut.

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked.

"Let's watch TV!" Cora cheered as she turned the television on. A few moments later, I fell asleep.

**Five Hours Later**

I woke up to the sound of Cora's scream. I hastily made my way downstairs to see three men in long black coats and silver hair and green eyes. The only difference was their hairstyles. The man in the middle had shoulder-length hair, to his left stood a man with short and slightly spiky hair and sideburns, and the other had hair that extends partway down his back.

"Come with us, Seraphina. Your powers can help us find Mother." the man in the middle demanded. "My name is Kadaj. This is Loz, and this is Yazoo."

_"Kadaj...? Didn't Aerith..."_ I thought. Behind the three, I saw my two aunts, three uncles, and Cora tied up.

"So? Are you comin'?! Or do we have to force you?!" Loz barked. The group of three took out their weapons. My eyes widened. It was either I run away, join them, or fight. I clenched my fists.

"**No!! Seraphina!! Don't you dare hurt her!**" Cora cried. Loz glared at Cora and kicked her. She winced. Anger surged throughout my body. Suddenly, I felt faint; I was shaking.

**Nobody's Point of View**

Seraphina tightened her fists as she ran head-on to the opponent, hoping to hit one of the three. Unfortunately, she didn't. Instead, Yazoo kicks Seraph from behind, making her land harshly on the ground. She coughed out blood, but still attempted to stand up. Before she could, Kadaj pushed her down. Seraphina remained seated, panting heavily.

"It's useless!" Kadaj laughed, continuously kicking her. "Your powers haven't fully awakened yet, so you can't possibly win against us!"

**Seraphina's Point of View**

_"Just remember, don't give up!"_

Those words rang through my head as Kadaj was about to land the final blow. Partway to hitting me, I grabbed his foot and threw him off to the side. I stood up, and I felt like something formed in my hands. I look over to my right hand to see a solid gold handfan. It had ten ribs, all of which were pointed at the end. Black flowers were engraved throughout the fan. A dagger rested in my left hand. It had a golden blade and a black hilt. The hild was decorated with white flowers, while the blade was carved with black ones.

"So, are your powers working now or somethin'?" Loz hissed. "Now this'll be more fun!" Loz charged at me, disappearing and reappearing as he headed towards me. I turned around and ended up slashing him with my fan and then stabbing him with my knife all in one move. I then tossed the dagger into the air and caught it with my mouth, held the fan with both of my hands and made a sweeping motion. The ribs then made a beeline to Yazoo. They ended up scratching him several times. After a few moments, the three were gathered in a corner, heavily bruised and exhausted from dodging my attacks. I stood in front of them, holding the fan against my left ear.

"You know, in the language of the fan, this means to leave me alone." I stated, my voice filled with animosity. "So I suggest that you do just that." Kadaj grimaced as he signaled his group to leave.

"Just remember this, Seraphina Hreinn." Kadaj mumbled with venom in his voice. "We will not rest until we get Mother." And with that, the three were gone. I made my way over to my relatives and cut the ropes that confined them.

"Auntie Jina, please call my Mom and my brother- tell them to come home. And when they're here, you guys have to move to a different house, at the very least." I prescribed. Aunt Jina nodded as she got her cellphone out. "Cora, you're coming with me."

:.:.:.:.:.: **Nobody's Point of View ~ Seraphina's Room**

"Seraphina, where are we going?" Cora asked her big sister. Seraph was packing her clothes, as well as Cora's. Seraphina put her fan and knife in a white wristlet bag decorated with black polka-dots.

"I don't know, but we're not staying here, it's way too risky." Seraphina sighed. Cora's eyes sparked with excitement. "Here's your bag." Seraphina handed her little sister her bag and she put on her own. Cora grabbed Seraphina's hand, anxious to leave. But Seraph didn't move. She looked over to the flower vase. Then, she made her way over to the flower vase and took took the flower with the longest stem and put it on her right ear. Seraph felt a soothing aura overcome the right side of her face; it's as if Aerith was reassuring her that the flower will not fall nor would it die. She smiled as she grabbed her sister's hand and made their way downstairs and out the door.

:.:.:.:.:.: **Somewhere in Sector 5**

"Big sis, where are we?" Cora asked. Seraphina stopped and saw a big building in front of her. It was pretty dark, so they couldn't really identify the building. The two, having no place to call home, decided to settle in the building until they could come up with a better idea. Seraphina and Cora opened the door.

"It looks like... a church." Seraphina posed, looking around the sanctuary. Then, she saw a patch of flowers right below the hole of the church's rooftop. The hole made it possible for the moon to illuminate the area. She made her way to the flowers and plucked one of them. She got a good look at them and her eyes widened. "This looks like... one of the flowers Aerith gave me. It's not just a coincidence, right?" Cora then saw Seraphina admiring the flowers and made a beeline to them.

"Wow! These flowers are so pretty~!" Cora sang, plucking a flower out of the fertile soil. Suddenly, they heard the door open.

"Who's there?" the voice questioned in a deadpan manner. They were unable to see him because it was awfully dim on that side of the church.

"Oh- I- We didn't know there was somebody living here." Seraphina answered. "My name is Seraphina and this is my little sister Cora. We really need a place to stay because there's a group of people who are coming after us, and we don't really have anywhere to go."

**Seraphina's Point of View**

Suddenly, I heard footsteps. The stranger was probably walking towards us. Well, I was right. The moonlight exposed the stranger's face. It was a man. He was around his 20's. He had a slim physique, spiky blonde hair, haunting blue eyes, and he was wearing a high collar indigo shirt with no sleeves, black pants with boots of the same color, and black cloth that was covering his left arm and leg.

"Who are the people coming after you?" the blonde boy interrogated.

"A group of people named Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. They said something about not resting until they find Mother and that my powers could help them." I explained. The spiky-haired boy's eyes seemed to widen a little bit. "It's all pretty crazy, so I don't blame you if you don't-"

"You can't stay here." the boy said. "I'll take you somewhere else that's safer. Come with me." Cora and I looked at each other, trying to take in everything that happened so far. I nodded, signaling her to trust him for now.

:.:.:.:.:.: **7th Heaven ~ Edge**

"Where are we?" Cora asked the man, getting off of his motorcycle in which he calls Fenrir. "Hey, mister, what's your name anywho?"

"We're at a bar named 7th Heaven. This is where you're going to stay." the blonde boy droned. "By the way, the name's Cloud."

:.:.:.:.:.:

**Miru :** That's all for now, folks. I'm pretty tired, to be honest. This took a while to make for some reason. So yeah, tune in for the next chapter! RxR~! ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

**Miru :** Well, I don't normally make/publish chapters everyday, so I must either be really bored, or just really eager. o.o;;

**Tifa :** Well that's good. Now you can actually do something productive in your time, right?

**Cid :** Yeah, do somethin' with your life!

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII in any way possible. Final Fantasy VII was published by Square Enix. I only own the story itself and the OCs.**

:.:.:.:.:.:

**-~{[Bound by the Past]}~-**

**Seraphina's Point of View ~ 7th Heaven ~ Night**

"So, this is where we'll be staying?" Seraphina posed. Cora was wandering around the bar, poking things and such.

"Hm? Cloud? Is that you?" a girl with black hair and brown eyes questioned. The girl's hair was a tad bit over shoulder-length. She wore a skort with a black ribbon on each side, a closed, sleeveless black vest with a zipper, as well as a white sleeveless shirt underneath. She had teardrop earrings on. "Who're those two?"

"These are people I found in the Sector 5 Church." Cloud replied. "They said they were being chased by Kadaj and his crew. I decided to take them here, since it was safer than the church."

"Don't worry you two, you're safe here." the brown-haired girl reassured. "I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockhart. What are your names?"

"I'm Seraphina and this is my little sister Cora, nice to meet you." I greeted with a smile. "When they said Mother, they were talking about Jenova, right? What do they want with her?"

"Those three are... remnants of Sephiroth." Cloud clarified. Tifa stared at Cloud in shock. I felt slightly uneasy. "They're probably out to restore Sephiroth using Jenova's remains." I started to shake uncontrollably.

"So... my powers, as Aerith said, will help them find her and restore Sephiroth...?" I muttered, concern in my voice. Cloud's eyes widened quite a bit when I said "Aerith." As did Tifa's.

"How do you know Aerith?" Cloud pried.

"I met her around two years ago. I bumped into her accidentally on the street and made friends with her." I reminisced. "Then, today, she warned me that Kadaj was after me because my powers can help him find Jenova. She also mentioned something about the White Materia resting inside of me, but it's just a myth right? The White Materia doesn't _really_ exist, right?!"

"Well, if what you're saying is true..." Tifa began. "If you really saw Aerith in a vision, then what she said is true. You have the White Materia inside of you. And yes, it really does exist." Everything around me started to look dim. I felt like I was going to collapse any moment. After a few moments later, everything became dark.

**Cloud's Point of View ~ One Hour Later**

Well, I ended up taking her up to her new room. Up until now, she's still sound asleep. She probably fainted because she couldn't take in everything that has happened to her. Aerith... does she really have the White Materia inside of her? Is she telling the truth? After a few minutes of watching over her, I fell asleep on her bedside.

**{[Dream Mode]} – {[Cloud]}**

I was in... the Sector 5 Church. I was sitting down on the patch of flowers Aerith planted. I could've sworn that Aerith was behind me, but I couldn't look over my shoulder because I was immobilized.

"Cloud, do you doubt what Seraphina is saying?" I could hear Aerith's voice, so it must be her. I didn't answer. "Well, it's all true. I met her a couple years back. She's a very sweet girl."

"So she really does have the White Materia inside of her?" I questioned.

"Yes. I believed that it would've been safe if I gave it to her." Aerith explained. "...You saw what Kadaj and his gang are like; I told you who they were. Just like how she protected the flowers I gave her, I want you to protect her with all that you've got. Who knows? Maybe you'll fall for her too."

"I doubt that." I droned. I heard Aerith giggle lightly. I missed the sound of her laughter...

"Seraphina has several other powers, too. But they aren't exactly awakened yet." Aerith sighed. "I guess she'll find out on her own soon..." Then, Aerith's voice started to fade away.

**{[Dream Mode]} ~ {[End]}**

I opened my eyes and to see that Seraphina was still sleeping. I sighed as I got up and headed for the door. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my hand. I turned around to see Seraphina's eyes wide open.

"So, you're awake." I mumbled.

"Aerith told you that I wasn't lying, right?" Seraphina blurted out.

"How did you-"

"I have the power of Foresight. The ability to see into the future and look into another's dreams."

**Nobody's Point of View**

Cloud was in awe. Seraphina's face was grim and solemn, but was then replaced by ecstatic and jolly emotions. Seraph giggled lightly and Cloud started to blush slightly. Then, she let go of his hand.

"Your face just looked so... surprised, I just had to laugh." Seraph smiled. Cloud started to get annoyed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Seraphina could sense that Cloud was at ease. Cloud sat back down and Seraph put her hand on Cloud's shoulder, as if she was trying to cheer him up. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

"What?" Cloud asked. Seraphina felt tears coming to her eyes. Cloud became concerned as a tear cascaded down her cheek. He took off one of his gloves and wiped the tear off of her face. "What's wrong?"

**Cloud's Point of View**

"You've... been through so much..." Seraphina mumbled in between sobs. "I wish I was there to lessen the pain, even by a little bit... I'm so sorry..." I was surprised at first, but then I hugged her to try and comfort her.

"It's alright." I whispered in her ear. "You couldn't do anything about it."

_"Who knows? Maybe you'll fall for her too."_

Maybe, Aerith. Just maybe. Seraphina stopped crying, so I pulled her away from the hug and caressed her cheek gently to try and make her smile. It was faint, but I saw her blush.

"You're blushing." I smiled. Seraphina looked down and tried to hide it, but it was still pretty obvious. Then, she gawked at me and stood up on the bed, pointing to me.

"Y-you're smiling!!" she hollered, blushing a thousand shades of red. "You should do it more often, you know? It suits your face better!" She sat back down and yawned. Now I knew that she has those "bursts of energy" at times.

"You're tired, go get some rest." I mumbled, smirking slightly. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

**Two Days Later ~ 7th Heaven ~ Seraphina's Point of View**

I was eating breakfast along with Cora, Marlene, Denzel, and Tifa. I met the two yesterday after Cora introduced me to them. I also found out that Denzel was infected with Geostigma. Anthony is also infected with Geostigma, it's on his right cheek. Geostigma is a disease is caused by Jenova cells and currently doesn't have a cure.

"Where did you get the flower from?" Marlene asked as she handed Denzel a slice of her bacon.

"I... got it from Aerith." I smiled, slightly stroking the white tulip in my hair. Marlene grinned delightfully. Tifa smiled lightly. "To be more exact, it's a white double early tulip; Schoonord."

"Aerith's nice, isn't she?" Marlene sighed. "She always looks out for others. She's probably looking out for us now, too!" I nodded and smiled at her comment.

**Later ~ 7th Heaven**

I was frustrated. I couldn't find any of the kids anywhere. I remembered Tifa saying that they were heading to the Sector 5 Church, but they should've been back by now! I decided to call Cloud to see if he has any idea where they where... He wouldn't pick up. I tried calling again.

"Cloud... please! Answer the phone!" I pleaded.

**Thirty Minutes Later ~ 7th Heaven ~ Nobody's Point of View**

Cloud woke up in 7th Heaven after the Geostigma took effect. He opened his eyes to see Reno and Rude. Seraphina was sitting on a chair in the middle of the two beds. Tifa was resting on the other bed.

"You're awake... Thank God..." Seraphina sighed. "Cloud, the kids are gone. I tried calling you earlier, but... you wouldn't pick up the phone." Cloud remained silent, his head down; he was probably feeling guilty.

"You don't care?" Rude asked.

"I just..." Cloud trailed off. Reno sighed as he signaled Rude to leave.

"You're a handful!" Reno said as he was walking out in the hallway.

_"Cloud..."_ Seraphina thought as she stared at him. _"Stop being so harsh on yourself..."_

**A Few Hours Later**

Tifa slowly opened her eyes. Once they were open, she tried to familiarize herself with the room before sitting down on the bed.

"Reno and Rude are out searching." Cloud informed.

"You have Geostigma, don't you?" Tifa recalled. Cloud remained silent. "So, you're going to give up and die, is that it?"

"...There's... no cure." Cloud muttered. Seraphina stood up from her seat.

"Look at Denzel and the other kids! They haven't given up yet!" Seraphina scolded. "Stop running away and face the present!"

"We can help each other! We can fight it together, Cloud!" Tifa hollered.

"I... can't help anyone. I'm worthless." Cloud murmured. "I'm not fit to help anyone. Not my friends, my family, nobody."

"Dilly, dally, shilly, shally." Tifa said. Seraphina gave her a questioning look, as did Cloud. Seraph caught on to what she was trying to say. Tifa looked at Seraphina and they both nodded their heads; they knew he had to stop running away.

"Dilly, dally, shilly, shally!" Tifa and Seraphina chorused.

"I think they want you to move on, man." Reno said, smirking.

"Did you find them?!" Tifa questioned.

"No, only a witness." Reno sighed. "Kadaj and his gang took them."

"Where are they now?" Cloud asked.

"They're at their base. The Forgotten City." Rude informed.

"I'm going!" Seraphina announced, heading for the door. Reno and Rude blocked the way.

"Cloud, you're going." Tifa demanded before saying her speech to Cloud. (It's long, and you guys have probably heard it before.) Cloud remained silent.

"Cloud..." Seraphina sighed. "You know, everybody forgives you. You never did anything wrong. It's about time that you forgave yourself, because that seems to be the only thing weighing you down." Cloud stood up from the bed and went out the door. Seraphina followed him.

"Stay here." Cloud ordered. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"No. I'm coming with you." Seraphina droned. "My little sister's there, and I can fend for myself." The tulip in her hair emitted a soothing aura. Then, the fan and knife appeared in her hands. Cloud sighed and got on Fenrir. Seraphina got on the back and hugged his waist.

:.:.:.:.:.:

**Miru :** Oh God, another chapter that took long to make. Well, I hope you enjoyed it, nevertheless! RxR~! ^-^


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